Improvement in air-engines



HIMESSER.

AIR ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 5, 1863- nun UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

Hanny MESSER, or EoxEUnY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPRQVEMENT IN? NRL-ENGINES.

Specification-forming part of Letters I-atent No. 37,2199, dated January -6, 1863.l

of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Air orflaloric Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear?, and exact description' of the same, reference being yhad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this spccication, in which- Figure 1 is a' vertical section of an engine with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, partly inr section. Fig. 3 is a front view. of the interior of thejchest which contains the induction and eduction valves of the working-cylinder.

`Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iig'ures.

Y --This invention consists, first, in the attachment'of the pump-cylinder vof an air-engine to the working-piston and the employment of a stationary compressing-piston, the object beingto employ the weight of the said cylinder to aid'the working-piston in its downward or return stroke, the engine being sin gie-acting andthe air only operating to produce the upward stroke. Y

It also consists inacertain arrangement of the induction and eduction valves and valvechest of the working-cylinder of the engine, whereby great facility Vis aiorded for` getting at the valves whenever necessary; v To enable others skilled? in the'art to make and use my invention', I will proceed `to describe its constructionand operation.` i

A is the working-cylinder, arranged in an upright position`,rand having its lower part -sunk in and surrounded by an air-heating cylinder P, provided by openings s s, shown in Fig. 1, andthesaid piston is-provided with a valve, e, at' the top opening downward and inward from the-atmosphere to its cavity a.

E is' the pump-piston, having forits pistonrod a portionof a pipe, F, which isconnected with the air-heating chamber B, to supply air thereto, the said pipe being tted to the tight cover P of the pump-cylinder with a stuingbox, Gr. The saidfcover P' is.furnished with a valve, b, opening downward or inward from.

the atmosphere. The stationary pump-piston Eis hollow, and its internal cavity is always vin communication with the pipe F; and the said piston has a valve, c, in its top opening downward and inward, and a valve, d, in its bottom opening upward and inward.

H is the'valve-chest, containing the induction-,valve I for theinduction of the compressed and heated air from the furnace C intothe lower part of the working-cylinder A, and the eduction-valve J, for the escape of the exhausted air from the said cylinder to the at-v mosphere.- The airfrom the furnace iscon-" ducted to -`the valve-chest by a pipe, M, and

the exhausted air leaves the valve-chest a pipe, J'. Y v

The valves I J may be operated by any suitablemechanism ofsubstantially similar characapplied in` connection with them in such com-` bination of the pumping-cylinder and work-` ing-piston, is as follows: In the downward movementof the workingpiston D the valves b` and drare closed, and c and e are open, and 'the-air with whichthe part of the pump-cylinder above its piston E has' been previously filled is compressed and forced through the valve c, pump-piston E, and pipe F into the chamber B, and thence through the openings m m into the furnace G, while the pump-cylinder is lled below the piston with fresh air, entering through the valve e. In the upward movement of the working-piston D,.produced by the expansion 'of heated air. admitted to the cylinder A from the furnace through the pipe M andvalve I, the valves b and dare 'j open andl cand closed, as represented inFig.V

l, and the air with which the pump-cylinder E has been filled belowits piston P is forced through the valved, piston E, and pipe F into the chamber B and furnace C, while fresh air enters lthe pump-cylinder E above-its piston 'P through the valve b. The pump is thus double-acting, operating both in the upward and downward stroke of the working-piston D, which may be caused to produce a rotary movement of the crankshaft Ly of the engine by any suitable systemof connections. Fig. 1 represents the connection with the crank as being made by a forked rocking beam, N, and

rods O V.

The arrangement of the valve-chest H and valves I J to atl'ord convenience for getting at the valves is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. AThe valves are of .the puppet kind, and the chest is divided into four compartments, it j j', the

compartment@ having the induction-pipe M attached and being always in communication with the furnace or air-heating chamber, the compartment j having the exhaust-pipe- J atl(ached, and the `two lower compartments, i and j', both communicating with the cylinder. The induction-valve I is placed vbetween the compartments i and t, and the eduction-valve J between the compartments j and j. The closet H is situated opposite to an opening, r, provided in the cylinder-casin g or air-heating chamber B of the engine, suchopenin g being fitted with a-tight cover, t, which is only re` Fig. 3, and the valves can be examined, ad-

justed, or taken out without diculty.

-Instead of having the air circulate around" the fire-box, it may be prevented from circulating over the sides thereof by filling the space between it and the outer casing with plasterlof-paris. or other non-conducting material.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a stationary pumppiston, of a pump-cylinder attached to and having a reciprocating movement corresponding lwith' the working-piston, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The arrangement of the valve-chestv H, valves I J and the movable front plate, u, of the chest, whereby provision is made for getting at the valves, substantially as herein described. l

HENRY MESSER.

Witnesses:

JAMES B.. RICHARDSON, L. S. ORAGIN, Jr. 

